Hey, one of those training trip gone right kind of deals. Hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 1: Training Trip?

Empty. That was a good term for how he was feeling. Not the thought of having nothing, even though he did indeed return with nothing. It was the feeling of emptiness that seeped through his body. He felt hollow.

"I will go to Orochimaru."

"Naruto...My...lifelong wish..."

"I will definitely bring Sasuke Back! That's the promise of a lifetime!"

It all seemed like ages ago but in reality, it was his last 24 hours. Blue eyes shifted from the slashed Konoha headband on his lap to the door of his hospital room. There he saw a pink-haired kunoichi entering.

"Sakura-chan," said the boy in a whisper. The girl walked up to him before inspecting his appearance. His blonde hair was visible still but everywhere else was bandaged. From his head to his toes. "I'm sorry. I tried to bring-"

"Why're you apologizing? Things happen you know," spoke Sakura with a laugh. She'd cut him off as the blonde continued to look down. He wasn't even fooled by the fake laughter. "It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault."

"...I'm sorry," said the boy again as Sakura shook her head.

"You know, you look like a mummy wrapped up like that Naruto," said Sakura as she walked to the room's window. She pulled back the curtains to allow the sunlight to shine inside. "It's such a beautiful day outside and the weather's been so nice. You should keep these open so-"

"Sakura-chan! I'm going to bring him back. It's a lifelong promise," said Naruto causing Sakura to stop talking. She turned to see determination shining in his blue eyes. "I'll keep my promise. I'll bring Sasuke back."

"Naruto...it's alright."

"I never go back on my word," said Naruto with a smile. A thumbs-up followed as he nodded his head. "It's my ninja way dattebayo."

Sakura tensed her hands, biting her bottom lip, as she looked at Naruto. A smile found its way on Sakura's face after a while hearing Naruto's words. Sakura then headed for the door as Naruto watched her leave. Before exiting, Sakura turned her head back.

"I know you will Naruto. And just so you know," said Sakura, confidence heavy in her voice. "I'm coming with you next time. We'll get him back together."

Naruto nodded his head as the door closed and he was left alone. His loneliness didn't last long as he looked to the window to see a man there.

"It's time to go gaki. Training trip time," said the man as Naruto nodded his head. "Shed those bandages and meet me at the East Gate."

The man jumped off the window sill and disappeared into the village below after his words. Naruto turned his eyes back to the slashed Konoha headband on his lap as he gripped it tightly.

"Hope you get better Sasuke. I'm coming for ya."

(2 weeks later)

"Maybe this wasn't the best idea," said the man who'd appeared in Naruto's window. The same man who'd taken Naruto on a training trip. And he was staring down a rather dangerous Naruto at the moment. "Who knew the Kyubi was so strong?"

This was Jiraiya, the famed Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku. The man was renowned and respected as one of the most powerful people on the planet. He was a tall man with spiky white hair, two bangs framing his face and the rest flowed down his back in a ponytail.

He was wearing a green short shirt kimono with matching pants; under which he wore a mesh armor that showed out of the legs and sleeves of his outfit. his outfit was completed with handguards, a simple black belt, traditional Japanese Geta, a red haori with two yellow circles on each side, and a large scroll strapped to his back that was parallel to his waist.

Though currently, he had a large gash in his chest as he sat slumped in a corner of a small clearing. A passed out Naruto laid in the middle of it, the boy's body glowing with red chakra. The red chakra was slowly disappearing over time as a seal was attached to his forehead. The seal was forcibly suppressing the potent red chakra the boy was exuding.

"The fox's chakra is too powerful. It consumed him when he went to two-tails and especially when he hit four." thought Jiraiya as he breathed in and out slowly from his most recent injury. "That might actually leave a scar. Wonder if the ladies will like it?"

(Hours later)

"None of it huh?" questioned Jiraiya with his chest wrapped heavily in bandages. He sat on the bed of his hotel room looking at his student. Naruto sat in a lotus position on the floor with his eyes closed. "Not one thing about earlier huh?"

"Nothing Ero-Sennin. I can't remember a thing after you said you were going to loosen my seal," said Naruto as Jiraiya shook his head.

"I guess it was a bit soon to test your Jinchuriki ability huh?" questioned Jiraiya with a small laugh that was pained toward the end. He grabbed his chest before smiling. "You're hard to put down when you go berserk like that, even for me. The Kyubi's chakra is phenomenal."

Naruto frowned hearing that as he looked at his teacher. The man was hurt by whatever Naruto did when the Kyubi took control of his body but, the man was only praising it. Naruto could understand why because power was something to be respected not feared but, if it came at the cost of conscious thought, Naruto didn't want it. And thus, he nodded his head before placing a hand over his stomach where his seal resided.

"I don't want to learn how to control my Jinchuriki powers," said Naruto as Jiraiya looked toward him with a curious eye. Naruto was all aboard the idea since Jiraiya promised it'd be one of his greatest assets someday. But, one day into trying to harness the Kyubi's power and he was denouncing it? "At least not yet. In my fight with Sasuke, in my fight with Gaara, and even Neji, I relied too heavily on it, for most of the fights. I get that it's apart of me and I should use it. But, why not teach me how to fight without it first? Maybe by getting stronger everywhere else, I can control the Kyubi better since I'll be stronger. Does that make sense?"

Jiraiya stared at Naruto for a good ten seconds before responding.

"Who the hell are you and what have you done with Naruto?" asked Jiraiya getting a laugh from Naruto. Naruto rubbed a hand behind his head as Jiraiya didn't believe this was the same kid. "It makes a lot of sense. When did you get intelligent brat?"

"Hmm, I don't think I did. I just was thinking I guess. Sounds smarter."

"I can teach you how to ninja kid. It's what I do," said Jiraiya with a grin. "Maybe you're right. We shouldn't focus on the Kyubi upfront. Let's work on those other attributes. You are a chunin after all. Need to be more than a one-trick pony."

"Chunin? What do you mean? I never got promoted."

"Tsunade-hime realized she overlooked you gaki. You certainly did more than enough to earn promotion with defending the village from the Ichibi," said Jiraiya reaching over the side of his bed. Naruto watched Jiraiya pick up a Konoha chunin vest as his eyes widened. Jiraiya handed the boy the vest and watched him simply stare at it. "Put it on. You know you want to."

Naruto levitated into a stand as he took off the orange jacket he was wearing. He left on his mesh undershirt and slipped the vest on right over it. Naruto felt good. Naruto looked good. He was a chunin! There was a detail that he couldn't overlook though.

"It doesn't really match my orange huh?" questioned Naruto as he looked at Jiraiya in the mirror. Jiraiya shook his head in the negative as Naruto let out a sigh. "I might have to actually get new clothes then."

"Alright, that's it. You really aren't Naruto, are you?" questioned Jiraiya again as Naruto frowned. His orange looked off with the vest on. And he was going to wear his vest. He earned it. "By the way, you aren't officially a chunin."

"I'm not?" questioned Naruto as he looked at Jiraiya quizzically. "Why give me the vest then?"

"Consider yourself a tokubetsu chunin, a special chunin. You're not ready to lead a team but, you're better than that genin rank. So, you're a tokubetsu chunin," said Jiraiya before standing up abruptly, seemingly unaffected by the near-death blow he took earlier. "I think beating a bijuu is jonin material but, Hime's hating on my teaching skills. Doesn't matter because, as you requested, I'm going to teach you how to be a ninja. We'll whip you into shape quick, fast, and in a hurry. You'll be the Rokudaime Hokage by the time we get back."

Naruto smiled as he liked that plan. Naruto turned back to the mirror and stared at his reflection. Chunin meant he was a step closer to his goal. Chunin meant he was getting strong enough to bring Sasuke back.

"I'm coming Sasuke. I won't break my promise to Sakura-chan dattebayo."

"Before I teach you anything though, we need to condition that body."

"Condition? I'm in shape."

"No, I mean really condition," said Jiraiya looking at Naruto ominously. Jiraiya gripped his shoulder painfully tight as he spoke robotically. "I must break you. I must break you hard." Jiraiya let go of Naruto and nodded compassionately. His voice returned to normal as he looked sorrowfully at his young charge. "Trust me, this is about to suck for you. I don't pull my punches kid."

Naruto frowned because he really didn't know what he just got himself into. This was not about to be pretty. And after the beatdowns, Naruto wouldn't be looking pretty either.

Well, he did ask for it.

(Konoha - 1 year later - Naruto Age 13)

"It's already been a year. Wow, the time is flying." came the voice of a woman with short black hair and black eyes. "I can't believe he's been gone for a year already."

The woman was talking to another woman, a busty blonde, who sat at the desk in her office. Her office was dead center in the village she governed as its top ninja. That village being the peaceful Konoha.

Konoha was a shinobi village, one of the world's strongest shinobi villages, and a member of the Great 5. Though appearance-wise, Konoha looked more like a civilian village. Even with the village appearing pedestrian, the world, begrudgingly in some cases, respected Konoha as the strongest village in the world.

Though the leader of the village cared not for it at the moment as her mind was elsewhere. Her mind was on the other blonde who'd left the village a year ago to become stronger. She actually missed the kid's presence.

"It has become quiet hasn't it Shizune," said the woman getting her assistant, Shizune, to nod in agreement.

"It has Tsunade-sama. What do you think they're up to? Or where they are at currently?" questioned Shizune as Tsunade stood up with a shrug before checking herself out.

Tsunade was a beautiful woman, appearing to look in her early twenties despite being over 50 years old. She has fair skin with brown eyes and straight, blonde hair tied back into two loose ponytails with bangs framing either side of her face. She wore a grass-green haori with the kanji for 'gamble' on the back written in black that sat inside a red circle. Underneath she wears a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves, held closed by a broad, dark bluish-grey obi that matches her pants. Finishing off her attire were strappy, opened toed sandals with high heels, red polish on her nails, and a violet mark in the middle of her forehead shaped like a diamond.

"I don't want to speculate Shizune. I pray Jiraiya is actually teaching the gaki something," said Tsunade as she began to walk to her door. "And not perving around. Now let's get to another one of these meetings."

Shizune nodded her head as she followed after her sensei and leader.

(With Naruto and Jiraiya)

"How was this supposed to help me again Ero-Sennin?" questioned Naruto as he sat on a mountaintop. He was with Jiraiya as the man had a telescope out. And he was giggling while looking through it at the village near the base of the mountain. "I always forget the purpose of this."

"Working on your patience, scouting abilities, and stealth," said Jiraiya as Naruto mouthed the same words. He already knew that bogus answer. Jiraiya noticed the mocking and ignored it before turning his sight back to the village. "I'm glad you changed your clothes kid. You sucked as a wingman when you wore that orange eyesore. I could never do this back then since you stuck out so bad."

"Oi! That jumpsuit was fashion and you know it. It was detachable Ero-Sennin. Detachable!" said Naruto defending his last choice of attire. Naruto did switch from the orange jumpsuit to something that matched his flak jacket. "I like my new look but, I miss my jumpsuit. It was perfect."

Naruto's new outfit was his Konoha flak jacket with a mesh, short-sleeved shirt on underneath. Black pants and black shinobi sandals went with it as he also changed his forehead protector from blue to black.

He wasn't wearing the forehead protector though or the vest since he'd been training earlier. All he had on now was a black shirt and pants since Jiraiya dragged him from his training to do this. He could readily admit he looked more like a ninja now but, rest in paradise to his orange jumpsuit.

"Eh, you looked like an idiot back then. Especially since you were shorter too," said Jiraiya whipping out another telescope and handing it to Naruto. The kid could call him a perv all he wanted but, he knew Naruto was curious as to what Jiraiya himself was so interested in. Helped that the kid was also perverted. "At least you're finally as tall as you should be. And still growing, good on ya."

"I knew I'd hit a growth spurt. Everyone in the Academy can suck it for calling me short. Bet I'm taller than them now," said Naruto absentmindedly accepting the telescope. Without thinking, Naruto extended the scope and took a peek at the village. Naruto's face turned bright red before he put the telescope down and looked at Jiraiya. "Where are we and why does that village have so many-"

"Beautiful women?" questioned Jiraiya with a smile on his face. That smile deepened when Naruto looked through the telescope some more. "Yes, yes...come and join the dark side my boy. It's a better life here." thought Jiraiya before speaking again which got Naruto to turn back to him. "This is a village I've come across many times before. I decided to come back since it could probably help you. This is the wonderful kunoichi village-"

"Nadeshiko," cut off a new arrival behind the master and student. They both turned and Naruto's blush returned at the person talking. "And I'll have to wonder why you're both spying on us?"

She was a fair-skinned girl of average height for her age, looking the same age as Naruto. She has green eyes and waist-length black hair in a hime-style cut tied in a high ponytail with short bangs and chin-length strands framing her face. She had on a black forehead protector and was wearing the same form-fitting outfit as all of the other Nadeshiko kunoichis. A grey-colored uniform with a right shoulder-guard, grey gloves, and an opening in her shirt which revealed some cleavage that she seemed to be blessed with, even at her young age.

Naruto thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. Luckily, he wasn't blinded by beauty like most people. He could act even when starstruck.

"Naruto. We need to get out of here," said Jiraiya as he realized Naruto was a step ahead of him.

"Kuchiyose (Summoning)," said Naruto as he slammed a palm to the ground. The kunoichis of Nadeshiko watched as a poof of smoke covered both Jiraiya and Naruto. A slightly bigger than human-sized toad appeared as Naruto stood atop his head. "We weren't spying on you. Ero-Sennin is a pervert. That's all."

"He's the pervert? Then why do you both have telescopes?"

"Hmm, I have no rebuttal for that."

The girl narrowed her eyes at Naruto and he couldn't blame her. They were foreign shinobi, hidden pretty well, both looking down upon her village with telescopes. They looked like spies. And even when he told the truth, it wasn't any better. If it looked like a duck, quacked like a duck, then it probably was a spy. So, Naruto wasn't mad at her for getting ready to attack them. They paused though when Jiraiya smacked Naruto across the head with his telescope.

"You suck gaki."

"How do I suck?"

"Two reasons," said Jiraiya holding up his middle finger. That apparently was him saying reason one was coming. He didn't have to use that finger though. "Stop dry snitching." Naruto flinched. He ratted out Jiraiya immediately. Not so dry since he was getting threatened, but still, snitches get stitches. Jiraiya held up his pointer finger as 'two' and continued. "You couldn't summon a toad big enough for the both of us? How am I supposed to fit on him with you?"

"You're a shadow clone Ero-Sennin. You've been gone," said Naruto as he got the clone to smile sheepishly. Naruto then pointed to the Nadeshiko kunoichi. "You did all this to confuse them. Probably so you can get further away without them noticing." Naruto turned to the kunoichi before pointing in the direction Jiraiya went. A faint 'Stop dry snitching!' could be heard in the distance. Naruto didn't care as he patted the toad he stood on. "C'mon Gamakichi, let's get out of here. Higi: Sanjuurokei no Jutsu (Secret Art: Technique of the 36 strategies)"

Gamakichi got the message before jumping high into the air and away from the group of kunoichi.

"The irony. Just like I did back in the day. Maybe I am rubbing off on the kid." thought Jiraiya as he looked at the kunoichis in front of him. He noticed the leader of the group had a look of recollection on her face. "Seems she must know who I am after seeing the gaki do that."

Jiraiya watched the girl take off in a dead sprint after Naruto getting a smile out of him.

"That'll be interesting. Wonder what Naruto will do." thought Jiraiya before looking at the bevy of women in front of him. "Now ladies. There's 6 of you to just one of me. Unfair odds if I say. You'll need at least 9 if you want to keep up with the Gallant Jiraiya in the bedroom. But, I'm willing to go easy on you to-"

A kunai dispelled the Jiraiya clone in a poof of smoke. The Kunoichis looked to where their leader disappeared to, not seeing a trace of her or Naruto.

(With Naruto)

A river bank greeted the blonde shinobi as he walked over to it after his escape. Just before he could reach down and grab some water, Naruto's head picked up and he turned to see the girl who'd spoken to him and Jiraiya.

"Wow. Persistent," said Naruto as the girl studied him with her pretty green eyes. "Damn Ero-Sennin's rubbing off on me." thought Naruto with an internal frown having already sized up the girl. He knew things like her chest size and measurements from a mere glance. Naruto refused to become a pervert like Jiraiya so he willed himself to speak to keep him from his visual probing. "I guess I should introduce myself. The name is Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage. A pleasure to meet you."

The girl brought her eyes back up to meet Naruto's stare. She said nothing to him for a few seconds. She realized he was waiting for her name in return and she figured she could reciprocate. She did have manners after all.

"Shizuka," said the girl as Naruto nodded his head with a smile.

"Pretty name. I'm not here to fight. My sensei and I were only passing through the area," said Naruto as Shizuka's eyebrows lowered to a glare.

"And you both happened to stop at a mountain overlooking our village and spy on us with telescopes?" questioned Shizuka as she looked ready to pounce on Naruto for any answer she didn't want to hear.

"I didn't want to perv, not spy, on you at all. It's my pervert of a sensei that did," said Naruto seeing the girl loosen her shoulders. Probably to quickly reach for one of those many kunai he could see on her person. Naruto didn't want that so, he kept trying to talk her down. "Even though you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, I wouldn't be perched upon a mountain peeping on you. That's not my style." continued Naruto with a hand to his chin as he looked away. He didn't see the girl blush because of it. She couldn't believe he complimented her so brazenly in this situation. "Then again, I don't really know what my style is. I only asked one girl on a date, repeatedly, and got rejected each time. Maybe I should change my approach."

"He thinks I'm the most beautiful?" thought Shizuka stuck on that line. She steeled herself though. Pretty words were just that, pretty words. Shizuka sprinted at Naruto as he groaned. He needed to work on his silver-tongue since the truth didn't work for a second time. "For Nadeshiko, I must defeat you and bring you in."

"I really didn't want to fight," said Naruto before shifting his body into a defensive stance. "But I'll be damned if I get blamed for the perverted wiles of Ero-Sennin." continued Naruto as Shizuka closed in on him. "At least I can test my skills I guess. Haven't fought someone my age in a while."

A flurry of punches and kicks came flying at Naruto from the Nadeshiko Kunoichi as Naruto blocked and parried them all with little to no effort. She wasn't even close to Jiraiya. And Naruto had been getting his ass handed to him by the man for over a year.

"You have to go harder than that if you want to hit me," said Naruto catching Shizuka's latest kick before pushing her away. The action sent the girl skidding back quite the distance. Shizuka's eyebrows raised hearing Naruto's request before she blurred to Naruto. "Guess I asked for it."

Shizuka came at Naruto with more speed and ferocity. She lashed out with a speedy set of punches followed by a sharp kick that connected to Naruto's stomach. Naruto blocked the jabs and didn't seem fazed by the strong kick. He smiled, confusing the girl, as she put a hand in the half ram seal.

"Ressenpu (Violent Whirlwind)" said Shizuka before she let loose a strong gust of wind at Naruto.

Naruto jumped left to dodge with his hands forming a unique seal. The sequence was smooth as butter as he channeled the exact amount of chakra necessary. Right on the money as always. It was his favorite jutsu after all.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)" said Naruto before a dozen copies of him spawned to life. They stood between him and Shizuka all raring to go. Shizuka looked impressed by the massive number before all the Narutos came charging in at her. "Ah, I love this jutsu so much. Makes fights so easy."

The clones were corraling Shizuka as she began to sweat at trying to stay away. She knew eventually they'd get her at this rate so she needed to be quick and precise. Whipping out a set of kunai in each hand, Shizuka let loose a barrage of the deadly projectiles.

"Nadeshiko-Ryu Shinku Enbu (Nadeshiko Style Deep Crimson Dance Performance)" said Shizuka as each thrown kunai dispelled a Naruto on contact. She hit every Naruto and they all dispelled. That didn't make sense considering one of them was actually alive. She heard a footstep and her eyes widened. "Behind me? No one's ever gotten my back!"

"Rasengan" came the voice of Naruto indeed behind Shizuka. Naruto formed the jutsu, one-handed, as he brought it forward. Shizuka turned and couldn't see a way to avoid it. Only Naruto stopped and the chakra ball dissipated before striking her. "Still haven't gotten it down when making it with one hand. Bummer." thought Naruto as his Rasengan destabilized a few seconds after he formed it. Silver-tongue and one-handed Rasengan would be his focuses. He needed to get those down. "I wasn't going to hit her with it anyway. But, I'd have liked to have held it there for dramatic effect or something."

Shizuka stood frozen as she looked at Naruto. Naruto just did something that has never happened. He'd beaten her in a fight.

"He beat me." thought Shizuka thinking Naruto ended his jutsu prematurely on purpose. So, she gave him the victory. "You win. I concede."

"Nice, I had more and I'm sure you did too," said Naruto as he turned his head up. Naruto saw Jiraiya frowning at him and pointing at a non-existent watch on his wrist. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Calm down." continued Naruto before turning back to Shizuka. Naruto flashed her a foxy grin that got her to blush lightly. "I'll see you around Shizuka. Well, maybe not after this whole situation. Sorry about peeping on your village. Won't happen again."

Shizuka shook her head at Naruto's statement before she cleared her throat. Her cheeks were still rosy as she looked at Naruto.

"If you do, I'll just find you again," said Shizuka as Naruto smiled wider.

"That doesn't sound like a bad thing to me," said Naruto before leaves began to swirl around him. A shunshin goodbye would make Naruto look too cool. "Until next time. Stay beautiful."

Shizuka watched Naruto disappear in a swirl of leaves as she smiled. She rather liked him calling her beautiful. Other people had but, it rolled off his tongue better. And because of that, there was no doubt in her mind.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you will see me again." thought the girl before hearing Jiraiya.

"Did you shunshin thirty feet to try to look cool?"

"What? No, was that really only thirty feet?"

"Yes, yes it was dumbass. She can see and hear us kiddo."

"No she can't," said Naruto before looking to Shizuka and seeing her waving and giggling. Oh, her giggle was so cute but, it was hurting him that it was at him and not with him. Naruto hung his head in defeat before turning to walk aimlessly. "I blew it, huh?"

"Yeah, you were doing so well too. And then, you went and did that," said Jiraiya getting a rain cloud to appear over Naruto's head. Jiraiya followed after his young charge before trying to brighten the boy's spirits. "But, that's what this trip is for. To get better. And we'll work on your game with the ladies even more now!"

Naruto nodded his head as the two of them kept walking. It was to be a fun training trip. The first year was grueling but, Naruto hoped the rest would be the best time of his young life.

It was certainly shaping up to be.

Thanks for Reading.

A/N: Massive Edit For Grammar/Redaction of poor writing done 30 December 2018.